The price of lemon continues to reach historic figures due to its low production as a result of the weather phenomena that crosses the country. Given this, the National Institute of Health (INS) warned that some restaurants, including cevicherias, were using citric acid instead of lemon in their dishes. The health entity added that this powdered chemical component is harmful to health.
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How does consuming citric acid as a lemon replacement affect health?
Leidy Pillaca, INS nutritionist, warned that many merchants and restaurants would be using citric acid as a replacement component for lemon, given the high price of the latter currently. Likewise, the specialist denounced that this practice could have serious consequences because said chemical component is harmful to health.
“Many merchants, especially restaurants, are using citric acid as a replacement for lemon. This has many damages, especially on oral health, since what it will do is corrode the enamel present on the teeth. Likewise, it also causes gastric irritation in the esophagus, which causes nausea and vomiting when consumption is excessive,” he told TV Perú.
What foods contain natural citric acid instead of lemon?
For her part, nutritionist Pierina Padopulos explained which foods contain natural citric acid and can fulfill the role that lemon plays in the different dishes and drinks that are prepared daily.
“There are different types of foods that can replace lemon. For sweet dishes, the ideal would be to use tangerine or orange. For savory recipes you can use apple cider vinegar or lime. If you want to prepare a salty or sweet fusion, camu camu is the ideal ingredient,” the specialist explained to La República.
